Signaling system



G. W. THAXTON.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION min APR.22. 1919.

17,353,436, Patentedsepf. 21,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. W. THAXTON.

SIGNAUNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED M322, 1919.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

ofthese-blocks designated respectivelya, b,

f surv w. Lrmixfroiv, ory rAmFinLDQWALABAMA.

y YApplicatifminea April 22,`

Be it known .that l, :GUY W. THAXTON, a. citizen ofthe United" States,y residing at Fairfield, in the county-oij Jefferson and State of Alabama, haveiinvented certainV new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems; and lA do hereby declare the iol` lowing to be a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the invention, such as will en-V able others Skilled vin the artto which it appertains to make and usefthe same! l This 4invention relates to signaling systems, and more particularly to signaling systems of the railway blocktype.v n

One of the main `objects ofthe invention is to` provide al signaling system 'of the character stated specially adapted for fuse in connection withelectric railways inwhich, when a train is one block, the available current `in the preceding block will be mate-` rially decreased so as to reduce the speed of an approaching train and give warning of the presence of the train inthe block ahead.l

Y operation which may be readily installed at 'f Fig. 2 is asimilart view 'of a modified A further object is to provide asystem of this character of simple constructionY and comparatively small cost and -without ne'- cessitating expensive changes in the construction of the railway. y

Further objects will appear from the detailed description. i f In the drawings: l p

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic 'view' of a sys-V tem' constructed in accordance with'my invention'as applied.

form. Y Y

The railway trackdesignated generally by A is divided into a plurality of blocks by means 'of insulatingmembers '1, three and c b eing'shown. VA suitable conductor 2, such as atrolleywire orV a-third-raihis disposed parallel with'the trackand vis divided Iby insulating VVmembers 1"into blocksfzai", b',

y having sIYGNALrNG SYSTEM. 1f f 1919.y serial No. 291,914'.

Specification of Letters Patent.- ttlilieddsep't. 2,1, i

rails'of block Vca. manner, .thevvk va#V i rlous blocksrof. thetrack vare, ,connectedfftol i one side oi the generator so as to 'receive curf v rent therefrom. The other side Loli genera! tor 3 is connected-by awire 11'to afeed; wire 12'wh1ch is continuous and :is disposed s;

parallel with thetrolley wire 2;, Feed wire 12 1s connectedfto each of theblocks'of the trolley wire by a lead 13 in which isinterposed a4 relatively highresist'ance 14,; this lead lbemgalso `-providediin advance of the resistance with two spaced switch jaws "15 which are adapted'to receive the blades of d a switch arm 16 which is. normally held in operativey position Vby a tension spring 11T one' end secured kto the stem -18 ot fi the blade, theotherend of this springfbeing securedto a fixedv member. 'Switch-"blade y16 carries an armature -19 disposed oppositely'to stern 18, vthis armature `being slidable in 4a solenoid 20. By energizing this solenoid`,the switch armwlfis moved ,intov inoperative position so as to cutthe resisti ance 14: into `the circuit of the trolley block b thus materially reducing'the available current in this block;

` An alternating current*generatori121` of 'suitabletype is connected :by leads'22 and 23 toltwo mains24 and 25, respectively, which are disposed parallel with thev track. Main and 31 to the tracks of blockfb.

. 2.4 is connected bya lead26i-vith `one end Tl of 'a primary coil 2f( the other end of which Y is connected by a lead 28 with .mai'n 25'. Y This primary coil is positioned closely adj a' cent a secondary coil 29 the endsfofwhich y areconnected by leads 30zandi31f-to: the :refspective lrails of block lb. rlrimary coilv 27 induces a currentsin lthe secondary'coil'29,

Ythis currentv flowing through the'leadsf() An electro-magnet 32 s. positionedladfl jacent vthe-other end of block b fand has the lopposite ends of its coils connectedtofthe re'- spective tracks of this block by leads 33and 341` respectively. Thev secondary current vinduced Yin' kthe secondaryvcoil 29 normally flows, by means of leads 30 and 31 and the upper contact 36. `iThisarmatureis connected 'at its pivot bya wire 37 with one side of an electric battery38 the other side ofY which is connected-'by a-wire 39vwith one in position to indicate that the block is c side-dof electrically operated signalingV device 40 which includes a movable signal- 'ingarm 41, tlie other :side oiilwhich is Icon#- nected by a wire 42 with contact 36. KVlll/'lien armature 35 is in raised position, the circuit forA theY electrically operated signaling' de- Yvice`40 is completed andthe ai-ni 41 is held V leai' oil open.VV Blockr: isprovided with a similar electro-magnet L82 the opposite sides 'of which are connected by leads tothe respective rails Vof the block, this` magnet lserving;` when energized to holdin-raised position-a y pivoted armature this armature' engaging. aY Contact 86v for closingthecircuit of an electric battery '38" so as `,to energize the electrically operated signa-'ling device 40.

V'It will be understood, of course, that block cis provided adjacent its othe'rlend with a secondary coil corresponding to coil 2 9 and having its ends connectedto the respective rails of the block, a primary coil being` .positioned adjacentthe secondary coil and hav ing its opposite ends connected to mains 24 and 25,- the relectro-inagnet 32 being ener gized by the secondary or induced current. The lower' contact 43- for armature 35 is connected by a wire 44 .to one sideof the coil of solenoid 20, theother end of the' sole noid being connectedby a wire 45 to the mainbattery Vwire 46 at the opposite side of the battery from wire 47 for connecting the armature, at its pivoted end, to the bat tery. As will, be readily understood,r the lower contact43 for armature 35 is connected by a wire 44 to one side of a solenoid correspondingr Vto Vsolenoid 20, the other side ofwhich is connected by la wire `45 to battery wire 39; 1t will be understood that the solenoid to which ,the Wires 24 and25 are.

connected serve tooperate a contiol'switch for cutting a resistance'corresponding to resistance 14Vinto. the-trolley circuito).c block` al at propel' times.' l, v By arranging the various circuit control that whena train is rin one blo-ck, the curi rent; available in the block behind will be materially reduced so as to reduce the sneed of an approaching train while. also warning the engineer of this approaching train of the presence Vof a trainin the block toward which it is traveling. This will be be ter understood by. reference to the diagram in which the truck of a caris indicated diagrammatically as entering block c, this y truclrV bei-ng ir'idicat'edv by 47. The triic'k 47 carries a motor v480il suitable type, one side of which is connected by a lead 49 Vto a trolley pole 50l which"carries at the upper` end the trolley engagingmeniber or wheel 51,-v t-he other side ioi the motor beingr grounded through the wheels of the .truck to the rails of the track. `VllVhen the' truck -47'Veifiters block c, electrof-magnet-SZ" short circuited thus permitting the armature 35 to drop into engagement with Contact 43. vThis breaks the circuit of signaling device 40, so asto move sigggialiiig` arm 41" thereof into position to indicate that block c is occu# ied or closed. The armature 35 ,when

. owered closes the circuit for solenoid "20, .currentfowingcfroni thel positive side Vof battery 38 through wire 46', wire 45@ the solenoid, wire 44, Contact 43,armature 35', and wire 47 back tothe'negativeside of the operative position thus cuttingr `the :resist-V ance 140i? section or block 5 Yof the trolley; wire 2 into the trolley circuit of this block.

`Tliis`materially reduces the available cur-A battery. Thisfenergizesthe solenoidv soas i tol move the switchl arm 16 into open orin-V vso Y rent in block bsof that a train'entering this 'Y block would havey its: speedmaterially-re-i r f duced thus warning the engineer of the vtrain of the fact thatV block "cgis occupied while also materially-reducing the speed loi thel train entering block vl) so as Sto. eliminate all Y possibility of. iaccident,l The `train in block b may then-travel at very slow speed and is at all times under control so asto eectually -preventaV collision. between this train andthetrain'V in block c. InY the same manner, when a train enters blockb the resistance will be cutV intothe trolley circuit of block aV so that, when a train isvin any Y block of the system, another train .entering the preceding Vblock will have its speed materially reduced and will bethus warnedV of the trainl ahead. This insures Aample warning and efectua'lly eliminates all danger Yof accident, since this warning is in no wa y dependent uponv the `engineer oi the train or any other. individual, the operation of the signaling system beingaiitomatic.

In the lmodified form illustratedin Fig. 2, y

v wire 45' lis broken -to provide two wiresf45 and 45. Wire 45 isl connected-.by af Wire 55 to wire 37, and wire 45 is eonnected'by a wire 56 to wire 44.- VVlith'these connections, when truck 47enters block o, arnia-V ture 35 will drop, but'the circuit of solenoid 2O .will not be completed due to the fact that armature 35 is held in vraised,position by electro-.magnet 32A .p However, ifa trainentersblock b while there is a train in block a, electro-magnet 32 will be short circuited so as to cause armature 35 thereof-to drop-thus Y completing the circuitV of solenoid 2,0 about the battery 38 through wires 455 56, truck; V47, contact 43,-V armature35, wire 37, and Wires 55 and 45. This serves to cutfthe resistancel4 into the trolley `circuit of blockb i y thug materially reducing'the speed of the -V trainenteringthis. bloc-k in themanner and for the purpose previously described, In all otherres'pects, the operationofrthis modified form of the signaling system is identical with that illustrated in vFigi-1. l

'Whilel have described my system-Aas used iso VLafrance I lt3 in connection with a direct current generator for generating the traction power, 1t

may be equally well used inconnection with an alternating current generator. Als0, when a train enters a block the available current in theblock behind is materially re'.

duced, as stated, regardless of the direction of ftravel of the train. By this means, if a train is in one block and ajsecond train backs into the block ahead, the first train will be notified and will have its speedv materially reduced. Also, if the second train attempts to back into the block occupied by Vthe first train, it will have its speed suddenly materially reduced' when passing from one block to the other. This serves to warn both trains and to also reduce their speed of travel, thus effectually preventing rear end trolled by a train traveling upon said track for reducing the available electrical energy in the trolley circuit of the block behind' that occupied by the train so as to reduce the speed of a second train entering said.V

block behind.

2. In a signaling system for electric railways, a railway track divided into a plurality of blocks electrically insulated from each other, a trolley wire divided into blocks corresponding to the blocks of the track, means foil 'supplying current to the track and to? the respective blocks of said 4trolley wire, and means controlled by a train traveling upon said track for introducing a relatively high resistance into the trolley circuitl of the i block behind. the 'block occupied by said ingvsaid block.

3. In Ya signaling system forelectricrailways, a track divided vinto a plurality of;v blocks electrically insulated from each other,`

trolley wire dividedv into blocks corre-f sponding to the blocks offsaid track, a continuous feed wire, means lforsupplying curV rent to said wire and' to thetracks, connections between the feed wire and the respec; A

tive blocks of the trolley wire including switch jaws 'electrically connectedv to the feedv wire and the trolley wire respectively,

and a resistance connected at its opposite V ends to said jaws, switch arms provided with contact blades engageable into' said jaws,l said arms being normally'held in voperative position so as to establish direct electrical connectionbetween the feed wire' and the blocks of the trolley wire,v solenoids having slidable armatures connected to the respective switch arms for moving the same into *inoperative position when the solenoids are energized, electromagnetic means connected to the'tracks of the respective blocks for i normally breaking the circuits ofthe sole-'- noids of the two adjacent blocks immediately behind, and means for-energizing the solenoids of such blocks, respectively, when lthe circuit of thesaid electro-magnetic cirf cuit breakingfmeansY are short vcircuited b atrain entering said blocks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence 'of twoV witnesses. I

Witnesses v W. W. GARRETT, T. A. MoW'rLnns.V

VGUY w. THAXTON.

. 4S train so as to materially reducethe` current j: 2 available in the block y,behindfor reducing thespeed of travel'of a second train enter-fl Y 

